asked the Minister for the Public Service the actions the Government proposes to take in respect of the arbitrator's pay award to employees who hold the grade of forester within the forestry service; if he is aware that their claim was first lodged in June 1981 and has now been fully endorsed by the arbitrator; if, in view of the fact that the claim was first lodged almost five years ago, he will pay the award immediately; and if he will consider meeting a representative of the foresters to discuss this problem.
Written Answers. - Foresters' Pay Award.
77.
In June 1981 the Union of Professional and Technical Civil Servants (UPTCS) lodged a claim for a restructuring of the forester grades. This was the subject of discussions between the Union and the then Department of Fisheries and Forestry during the period 1981 to 1983. In June 1983 the Union changed the restructuring claim to a basic salary claim. The latter claim was that which was heard at arbitration in June 1985 and the arbitrator's finding was received by the Minister for the Public Service on 5 March 1986.
In the course of negotiations on the 25th round and related matters certain proposals were put to the unions which took account of the special factors which existed in the case of some of the UPTCS findings, for example, that offers had been made prior to arbitration but had been rejected by the union. UPTCS did not accept the package of proposals then offered.
In a meeting with UPTCS on 10 May, I indicated that I was prepared to look again at the outstanding arbitration findings with a view to securing an agreement on the same broad lines as for the teachers. While I have made my position clear on this matter, I have offered to meet the Union again tomorrow and I would expect the foresters' case to be discussed.